


Perfect For Each Other

by Nigaki



Series: Wild and Soft [7]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha Arthur Morgan, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Arthur Morgan Has Low Self-Esteem, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Consensual Underage Sex, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Jealousy, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega John Marston, Period-Typical Underage, Pre-Canon, References to Knotting, but like nothing graphic, but not between John and Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24561202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigaki/pseuds/Nigaki
Summary: John is sixteen, it's time he found some alpha to spend the heat with. Arthur doesn't like the thought of that.
Relationships: John Marston/Arthur Morgan
Series: Wild and Soft [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687138
Comments: 3
Kudos: 83





	Perfect For Each Other

John was in heat.

It wasn’t anything new or surprising, he was going into one every four month since he was fourteen. No one was ever bothered by it, if it weren’t for the smell, it would be easy to miss that any heat was even going on.

But sometimes it wasn’t that easy to miss.

Arthur pinched his nose when he heard yet another groan coming from John, who laid on his bed in their shared tent, head hidden under the pillow. It was going on for two hours now.

Another groan.

“Stop whining,” Arthur told him. He couldn’t focus on his book because of it.

“I can’t, it’s too hot,” the boy complained, looking at the alpha from under the pillow. “If it's bothering you why don’t you leave?”

“This is my tent.”

“It’s mine as well.”

“Well, I was first.” John huffed and threw a pillow at him, hitting him square in the face. Arthur growled. “I’m going to strangle you with this.”

“Come on then,” John snarled back, baring his teeth.

Arthur felt tempted to do that, he even put his feet on the ground, ready to jump on that little shit, make him quiet for the rest of the day, but he stopped himself at the last moment. John grinned smugly, so sure alpha just chickened out.

“Knew you don’t have the guts,” the boy rambled. “I’m not as small as before, you wouldn’t stand a chance now.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and laid back down, picking up his book again.

“Sure,” he agreed. John still was lanky as hell, he could break that boy in half without making a sweat, but he would rather let John think he was just scared of losing than admit why he didn’t want to fight with him, especially now, when the omega was smelling so sweetly. 

It was getting hard to share the tent with John. He was growing up so fast, sixteen already. Arthur still remembered him as a scared twelve years old brought by Dutch to camp one day, with a red line left from a noose around his neck. He was just a kid then, someone to take care of, to teach. Now he was basically a grown man – taller, stronger, more experienced. Beautiful.

John was a handsome young man, Arthur started to notice that a few months ago, after a job that required the omega to dress more neatly and clean himself for once. Arthur couldn’t stop staring at him the whole evening. Up until that day, John was just, well… John. He always liked the kid despite him being annoying sometimes, but he never saw him as an omega. But the older he was getting, the harder it was to see a kid in him and not a grown omega that he would like to court if he only could.

The fact that they were good friends didn’t help either. It would be easier to ignore his suddenly growing attraction if John was just some stranger he met in town. But he was Arthur's closest friend, someone he could trust, someone that was always there for him, a funny and nice boy he could spend hours on talking with or just sitting in silence.

He didn’t know when exactly he started to fall for John Marston, if it was at the same time he started thinking of him as handsome, before that or after, but it happened. He was falling, and he was falling hard with each passing day. And smelling him during heat was a nightmare now.

That’s why he didn't move when John provoked him. Getting this close to John, wrestling with him, feeling his hot skin against his own, it would be impossible for Arthur’s body to not react. And he didn’t want to scare John, ruin their friendship because of some stupid childish crush that wouldn’t even go anywhere because of the rules in the gang.

John would make some alpha happy as their omega one day. But it would never be Arthur. Not when they weren’t allowed to have mates as long as they were in the gang. And even if it weren’t for that, Arthur wasn’t going to risk it and lose John completely just because he was feeling lonely.

He tried to focus on his book again, ignoring John’s sweet scent and groans he was letting out every now and then when he was tossing on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position to rest. The omega wasn’t going anywhere with this, it was only making Arthur’s day a living hell. He had only so little self-control sitting a feet away from an omega in heat who was squirming so temptingly.

Arthur watched the boy with the corner of his eye, feeling his throat getting dry and body reacting. They should really ask for separate tents. He would never hurt John, force himself on the omega, but he didn’t want him to smell alpha’s arousal or just see it. John was always seeing him as a friend, maybe older brother. He would feel betrayed if he was to find out that Arthur desired him when he never showed any interest before and John thought he could trust him.

It will pass, Arthur thought to himself. You’re just getting old and bitter because you still haven’t mated. You would start reacting to any omega right now. Leave the kid alone, you fool. He deserves someone better than you anyway.

Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at the page in front of him. It will pass.

It was quiet for a while, Arthur was sure John fell asleep but he wasn’t that lucky and soon enough, the boy returned to being annoying, tossing around and moaning almost constantly.

“Will you stop?” Arthur growled at him. John whimpered.

“It’s so bad this month, why is this so bad?” he asked pathetically, doing a complete roll before he plopped on his belly.

“I don’t know.”

The only thing he knew about heats was how to take care of them and how often they appeared. Everything else he was never taught. Hell, even omegas weren’t taught about them.

“It’s so hot!” the boy shouted and turned on his back, rising his hips slightly for a moment before he squeezed his tights. Arthur heard a wet sound. “And sticky.”

“Why don’t you use rags?” the older man asked, confused. Few of them were laying on the small table by the bed where they were placed by Grimshaw two hours ago.

“It won’t help when you have a waterfall between your legs,” John complained and with a whimper pulled his legs to his chest. Arthur shifted uncomfortably, bending the leg closer to John in the knee to hide his arousal from the omega. He covered it with his book too for better measure. “Arthur.”

“Stop whining!”

And moaning my name like that, he wanted to add but instead, he just took a few deep breaths to control his body reactions.

“I can’t!”

“What is going on here?”

Both Arthur and John turned to Dutch who just stood at the entrance to their tent, looking from one to another, waiting.

“John is annoying the shit out of me!” Arthur complained, pointing at the kid.

“Then go!”

They growled at each other, Dutch just stared until they calmed enough for him to say something.

“Leave the boy alone, Arthur, he’s in heat.”

“That doesn’t mean he has to whine about it, everybody knows about it already,” Arthur pointed out and shifted, feeling his pants being too tight. The heat was getting worse, John's scent was stronger than just a minute ago, but maybe it was because the boy was angry and his heat was now spiced with it. “He should do something useful around the camp, it would make him forget about the heat.”

“It doesn’t work like that!”

“You never tried, you little shit!”

John bolted up and with a loud growl glared at Arthur.

“Call me that again!”

“Little shit!”

“Enough!” Dutch roared before John could leap at Arthur and fight with him. This time Arthur was ready to do so, to hell with his arousal, he would teach this little cockroach some respect. “What John needs is to find himself some alpha finally.” Arthur growled at the thought of that, of some alpha touching what’s his! He realized what he had done right away. Startled by his sudden possessive display, he quickly ended the growl but John heard it. The omega turned his head towards Arthur so fast he almost twisted his neck and then stared at him suspiciously and kind of angry. But he was already angry so it meant nothing. “Don’t growl, Arthur, what are you, five?”

John crossed his arms. “I don’t want some stupid alpha,” he huffed offended. “I can handle my heat alone.”

“Clearly not because you’re snappier than usual,” Dutch noticed.

“Because the heat is worse than usual.”

“Because you’re growing. Omegas can’t go without alpha for so long.”

True to Dutch’s words, John snapped at him. “Wanna bet?”

“Just do something before Arthur kills you,” he told the boy and turned around. “Go find an alpha, boy, it will do you good.”

And with that, Dutch left. Arthur growled again, he couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t want John to find someone else, even for a heat. He knew it was egoistical, but he loved the boy, he wanted to be the one to help him if he only asked. If only he could want someone like Arthur.

It wasn’t a good idea to growl.

“What are you growling at?!” John yelled at him. The heat, the argument, everything turned him into this ball of rage he was now, ready to fight anything and anyone.

Arthur looked to the side, avoiding omega’s eyes.

“Nothing,” he muttered. He didn’t want to make John mad or yell at him, but he was so angry himself. The heat was affecting him too, for the first time since John got his first one. And his unrequited feelings for the boy, the fear of him finding out about them and hating Arthur for them, made the older man just snap. And now also Dutch’s suggestion about finding an alpha… Well, that one just made Arthur sad but still. 

“What, you don’t think I can find myself an alpha?” John probed, still aiming for a fight with how aggressive his tone was.

Arthur looked at him confused. “What are you talking about? You don’t even have to look, smelling like that any alpha would be happy to have you.” It made his stomach clench uncomfortably. “Some even more than happy.”

His skin crawled at the thought of that. He hated people who used heat as an excuse to rape someone. He really hoped that John would never have to deal with them, even if nothing would happen to him.

“I don’t need your protection,” John fumed.

“That’s not why I growled.”

“Then why?” Arthur didn’t say a word. He just couldn’t tell the truth, it would only make John angrier. Maybe he should’ve just lied that he was acting overprotective. John waited for him to say something but when he realized he wouldn’t hear anything from Arthur, he just snorted. “You know what? Forget it, I’m going.”

Boy turned around and grabbed his stuff from his chest. He put on the boots and a hat, clasped a belt with a holster around his hips and left. Arthur went after him.

“Where?” he asked, following the boy to the horses.

“To town, find myself and alpha like Dutch told me,” omega explained. Arthur swallowed hard, this time stopping his growl before it could even start. “Maybe it will help and you’ll finally get your peace to read that stupid book of yours.”

John put the saddle on his horse and a few minutes later he was gone from the camp, with Arthur watching him till he couldn’t no more and had to return to their tent. He was reading just like he wanted but now he couldn’t focus because he was worried. And jealous. He really liked the boy, no one could make him laugh as hard as John, no one understood him better, no one cheered him up like him. No one made him as happy just being near him. If he could, he would spend his whole life with John, even as just friends, but he craved more and he didn’t know how to stop this burning feeling in his heart.

He wanted to hold his hand, to kiss his lips sweetly and with as much passion as there was in them. He wanted to fall asleep by his side and wake up with him in the morning. He wanted to feel his naked skin on his, feel him trembling in his arms, hear him moan his name during the moments of pleasure.

But he couldn’t. They were friends and they would remain friends because Dutch would never allow them to mate. John wouldn’t even want that, he said that himself just moments ago. He was fine without a mate, and Arthur was too. He always was. It didn’t matter that desire to have one came back every now and then. It was just a silly dream, one that would pass, as he reminded himself again.

Arthur stubbornly remained in his tent, reading every ten words or so and understanding only half of them. John was gone for ten minutes so far, he probably wasn’t even in the town yet. Plenty of time to stop him, tell him he was sorry and convince him to go back to camp.

It wasn’t just jealousy speaking through Arthur, he was just worried. John never spent his heat with an alpha, he never looked for one. Some proposed but they had always quickly backed off when they noticed Arthur, Hosea or Dutch with the boy. John wasn’t helpless, but he knew nothing about looking for an alpha, about what to be careful and what to expect. He could get hurt or worse and Arthur would never forgive himself if that would happen. Because it was his fault John left. If it wasn’t for him, John would’ve still been in his bed. Whining and annoying Arthur but at least he would’ve been safe.

Instead he was on his way to town, alone, in heat. Arthur knew what alphas could be like and it was getting late, time of the day when the worst scums come out to cause trouble and hurt people.

Another ten minutes passed before Arthur decided he had enough. He wouldn’t be able to fall asleep not knowing how John was doing, if he was safe. He tossed his book to the side, got ready quickly and left. His palomino Quarter Horse mare sensed his nervousness and whined softly at him when he approached with the saddle.

“Easy, girl,” he told her and patted the mare on the nose. “We’re going for a short ride.”

“Where are you going?”

He wasn’t surprised someone noticed he was living, it was a small camp and he wasn’t exactly discreet about it.

“I want to make sure the boy won’t get into any trouble,” he answered to Dutch who watched him intensely, a cigar in his hand.

“I don’t think he will be happy seeing you.” Probably. Arthur was ready for a cold welcome. “He was really angry at you.”

“I know, I’m not going there to anger him more, just to check on him.”

“That will make him angry,” Dutch pointed out with a smile. “And he doesn’t need that, Arthur. He’s a grown man, let him choose an alpha for the night. You’re not his father to choose for him.”

“I never said I was,” Arthur defended himself and sighed. “You know this kid, Dutch. He gets into trouble even when he doesn’t want to and he left angry as hell. I don’t want him to get into a fight with someone bigger than him.”

Dutch laughed. ”You’ve got a point, son. Go. Just don’t kill each other.”

“I can’t promise anything.”

Arthur smiled at the leader before he climbed on his horse and rode off to catch up with John. He doubted John wasn’t in town yet, even if he slowed down after leaving the camp, he still had over twenty minutes advantage over Arthur, but maybe he wouldn’t be with any alpha yet.

He wasn’t going to stop John completely, no matter how sick Arthur was feeling with the thought of John spending his heat with anyone but him. What he was going to do, would be make sure the boy wouldn’t choose some creep only to show everyone he’s a grown up and can find himself an alpha. Then Arthur would leave him with the company and go back to camp or wait for him in the town. It would hurt to do so, but John deserved to spend his heat with someone, Arthur couldn’t forbid him that, it was none of his business what John was doing with his body, who was he sharing it with. Especially since Arthur was too big of a coward to offer his friend a help with heat.

No matter how much he wished it was true, John wasn’t his, not his mate, not his lover, just friend, always only friend. And Arthur wanted to make sure his friend was happy with any alpha he would choose, even if he wouldn’t be happy himself.

The town that was near their camp wasn’t big but still finding one man in it wouldn’t be easy. Arthur rode around looking for John’s horse anywhere but it wasn’t in front of a saloon or hotel, or anywhere else, including the stable he checked as well.

When he came out of there, he walked around the whole town again to make sure he didn’t miss the horse in the darkness. Turned out, he didn’t. Arthur was getting nervous. What if John went somewhere else? Or left the town with some alpha? He would never find him that way. He needed to find out if anyone saw the boy, he must’ve looked for an alpha somewhere, he wouldn’t take the first one he noticed on the street.

Saloon was always the good way to start looking. It was crowded and loud, like always at this time of the day. Arthur looked around for John at first before he made his way towards the bar and asked the barkeeper if he saw any omega in heat today.

“Yea, I saw one,” the man revealed while cleaning some glass. “A young boy, with dark hair. He went out with some alpha that was very interested in him.”

Sounded like John. Arthur could feel his stomach drop. So he was too late.

“Did he run from you after he promised you his heat, buddy?” some alpha asked with a sneer. “Wasn’t anything special if you ask me.”

Arthur didn’t answer, he didn’t care, John was already with an alpha. He knew it would happen and yet he was hoping this whole time that the omega would change his mind and maybe Arthur would get enough courage to offer him help. Hopefully the boy wasn’t doing it out of spite and wouldn’t come to regret it tomorrow. That was the only thing Arthur was asking at this point. That and for the alpha to be a decent human being.

He should go back to camp, wait for John to return and apologize for how he acted towards him today. Nothing else he could do in town and looking for John still would be unfair. But Arthur didn’t go back. He still didn’t know if the boy was safe, and there was still hope in him.

He looked for him again, trying to find the scent of his heat. He was sure he could find it, but after circling the town again, there was nothing, as if John was never here. Arthur stopped in the middle of the street, resigned and turned around, going back the same way he came here. Wherever John was, he was probably safe. The boy was smart and had a gun with him, he wasn’t hopeless, no alpha would harm him. Arthur had to believe that if he didn’t want to go crazy with worry.

He left the town walking, he wasn’t in any rush. His horse slowly made her way back to the camp, her heavy steps matching the heavy thumping of Arthur’s heart. There was a farm on the way, he passed it when he was riding into town. Nothing brought his attention then but now he spotted a lonely figure sitting on the well in front of the barn. Arthur stopped and looked closer at the person. He recognized the hat eventually, he bought it himself as a birthday gift. And then the sweet smell hit him, the one that was driving him crazy in the camp, the one that was making his heart go faster.

John.

Arthur approached him carefully to not scare the kid. John didn’t even acknowledge him, he was staring at his own hands, fumbling them in his laps, but he must’ve noticed he wasn’t alone anymore.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, kid,” Arthur informed, stopping right in front of him.

“I was here.”

John didn’t seem angry anymore, if anything, he was frustrated, but Arthur could also smell sadness on him. He didn’t like that smell, it was dull and sticky, if you could call a scent that.

Arthur smiled warmly at him but John hadn't even looked in his direction, still focused on his hands. “Some play in the hay? Romantic.” His smile fell from his face when he noticed that it wasn’t working, John still smelled of sadness, stronger even than his heat. “You feeling better? Your heat is still going. Was that alpha so terrible?”

John looked fine on the outside and he didn’t smell like any alpha, but Arthur wanted to be sure. He was ready to kill whoever hurt the omega.

“I wasn’t with any alpha,” John confessed, surprising Arthur. He was feeling like a bastard for being relieved even though it wouldn’t change anything. They still couldn’t be mates and he wasn’t even going to ask. There was still too much to lose. 

“I thought you came here to look for one.” What was he doing this whole time then? “And they told me at the saloon that you left with an alpha.”

“I wasn’t at the saloon. I met some alpha who offered help but I told him no.”

Must’ve been some other omega then.

“Why? Was he ugly or something?”

Alphas in small towns weren’t the prettiest but they weren’t bad either. Not every of them anyway.

John sighed and finally looked at Arthur, very intensely at that. It actually made him uncomfortable. “He was… fine I guess.” John shrugged his shoulder and looked at his hands again, playing with his thumbs nervously. “And he smelled nice.”

“But…”

John groaned frustrated, that smell getting stronger for a moment, putting to shame the scent of sadness and heat.

“I don’t know him!” he yelled angry, looking at Arthur again, who was taken aback by this sudden outburst. He was used to John getting angry easily, but he wasn’t expecting it now, and certainly not for it to end so quickly. John didn’t continue, he was just breathing fast and stared at him with confusion in his dark eyes. He was shaking. Arthur was torn between getting closer to him and comforting him and letting him deal with it himself in case omega didn’t want to be touched.

He did nothing, and John eventually took a deep, shaky breath before he continued. “I know it’s just for the heat, I don’t need to know the alpha, though some part of the society would think of it as scandalous. I know he wouldn’t hurt me, I can handle an alpha and he wouldn’t be able to force mate with me, I wasn’t scared about that.”

“Then what was the problem?” Arthur asked him quietly, not wanting him to think he was forcing him to tell, but also to let him know he was here to listen if he needed that.

John groaned again, tugging at his long hair he hid behind. He was sitting like that for a while, musing whatever to tell Arthur what was eating him or stay silent. Whatever that was, it was hard for him. Arthur took a step closer and put a hand on his shoulder, reminding him he was here, he was listening.

“I know it’s silly,” he whispered after some time, so quietly it seemed like a whisper of the wind. John wasn’t looking at him, he was hiding away with his face, but the rest of his body was leaning towards Arthur, looking for comfort. The older man sat down next to the boy, giving him what he needed. With face still turned away from him, John shifted closer so their shoulders and hips were touching. “I know it’s silly,” he repeated. “But I didn’t want my first time to be with some stranger alpha.”

“It’s not silly at all,” Arthur assured him and John looked at him with wide eyes. He never expected from him to be bothered by something like that, he always seemed like he didn’t even care about those things, that it wouldn’t matter to him with who he would sleep with. Turned out he was wrong and John had something romantic in him after all. “I wish my first time was with someone I cared about than with a prostitute.”

He never told anyone about that, not Hosea, and certainly not Dutch who bought him the night with a whore to ‘finally make him an alpha’ as he said that day. It wasn’t bad, the omega, a boy only slightly older than him, explained everything to him, didn’t laugh and was very patient. It was awkward, but nice. The only thing it lacked was the connection that the prostitute couldn’t give him. Not without paying more and even then it would’ve been fake, not what Arthur wanted.

John was looking at him like he couldn’t believe what he just heard. “Really?”

Arthur smiled and nodded. “Sure.”

He wasn’t ashamed telling John this, the boy would keep the secret safe and Arthur would do anything to make him feel better right now. No reason to let the boy feel like a freak or some silly child.

“I still feel stupid,” John admitted and shook his head, back to staring at his hands. “Like I said, it’s only heat, spend it with some alpha and forget. But I would never forget that and even if it would be nice and painless, I would still feel like it wasn’t right.” The boy rubbed at his eyes, like he wanted to cry. Arthur wouldn’t know what to do if he started, he was never good with crying people. Mostly because his own father always told him to shut up whenever he cried as a child. “I don’t even want a mate for this or anything but just… Just someone who cares, you know?”

Arthur wrapped his arm around John’s shoulder and brought him closer. The boy sniffed and rested his head on his chest. The scent of his heat was stronger this close, but Arthur didn’t react to it, nor his body. The smell of an omega in distress was more important now.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Shit.” John furiously rubbed at his nose, trying to stop himself from crying. “I still sound like I want a mate.”

“There is nothing wrong with that if you do,” Arthur mentioned carefully, ready for another outburst, but John was too tired to do that, he didn’t even move from the embrace. It was good to hold him like that, even if circumstances weren’t the best. But he was glad he was helping the boy, giving him comfort he needed. 

“We’re outlaws, we don’t have mates. We can have lovers, not mates.”

The famous rule of their gang, providing Dutch with loyal followers, not alphas or omegas who would always be loyal to their mates first and foremost.

“You don’t have to stay in this life.”

That actually made John move away from him and look at him with disbelief. Arthur took his arm back.

“You’re my family,” John reminded, his voice filled with hurt after the suggestion alone.

“Just hear me out,” Arthur asked and took a deep breath. He didn’t want John to leave, never, but the boy had to know he had that option. “You’re still young, you’re only sixteen, people marry at that age, start a family. You can leave and Dutch will even give you his blessing, he will understand.”

Arthur was sure he would, after all he was always repeating the gang is not prison, anyone can go whenever they like, there is only one rule – no betrayal. You can leave, just not behind Dutch’s back and telling the law about them.

“You ever wanted a mate?” John asked suddenly, changing the subject.

His desire for a mate, Arthur always kept deep inside him like his other secret. Dutch didn’t need to know that and feel guilty that he took his son’s life from him. So obviously John never knew about that either despite the two of them being very close and sharing other secrets with each other. This silly dream wasn’t even worth mentioning, it was impossible to achieve, not while living in the gang and he didn’t want to leave it, his family. Not now, not ever. 

Even with Mary he only was brave enough for marriage that wouldn’t bond them forever. 

“I still do sometimes.” He felt himself smiling dreamingly while saying that. He blushed when he realized what he did, but John didn’t react, just waited for more words to come. “It’s a nice thought to have someone forever, someone who understands you and supports you and loves you unconditionally.” Arthur huffed amused. “But I’m too old for that now.”

John frowned. “You’re only ten years older than me.”

“I lived this life for too long, I wouldn’t be able to switch to normal life anymore.” That’s the reason why his dream was only that, a dream. He could never be a normal citizen, and finding an omega who would accept him for who he was was almost impossible. Omegas like Annabelle or Bessie weren’t common and Arthur wouldn’t want to bring anyone to this life and put them in danger either. It didn’t end well for Annabelle. “But you could.”

“But I don’t want to.”

Arthur couldn’t help but smile at this childish response.

“If you ever will, don’t be afraid to ask.” Arthur made sure that John was still looking at him before he continued. The boy needed to understand what he wanted to tell him, so he had a chance for a better life if he ever wanted that. He deserved that, he already killed people and stole from them, but he was still purer than Arthur himself or Dutch and Hosea. “We’ll understand if you want to find a mate, you deserve to have one and spend your first time with them if you think you want that. And I’m sure that when you found him or her, they’ll cherish you, and care for you, treat you like you deserve to be treated and love you with all their heart. That you will feel safe and comfortable around them and they will feel safe and comfortable with you.”

Arthur had no idea when and how they got so close during all this but he now realized John was so close he could feel his breath on his face. His heart almost jumped out of his chest because of such a short distance, and his eyes were immediately drawn to omega’s pink, tempting lips that he wetted with his tongue. It would be so easy to close the gap and kiss John right now, taste him, make him moan, embrace him in his arms and never let go.

“Arthur, I…” John started quietly, but never finished what was on his mind. His hand found its way to Arthur’s shirt, grasping it tight while his eyes locked with Arthur’s own. They were always dark, but now, with pupils taking over, they looked black and the older man couldn’t stop looking into them.

“John…” he whispered back and shifted his gaze towards omega’s lips before looking into his eyes again.

They both leaned in together, John’s scent was suffocating, surrounding Arthur from every direction, making him dizzy. He had no idea what was happening, but he was too dazed to think about that now, not when everything he desired for months now was so close. He just wanted a taste to remember for the rest of his lonely life.

Their eyes remained open, Arthur was looking for any sign of this being a joke or a mistake on John’s part. He found none and leaned even closer, he could swear he could already feel John’s lips on his when the piercing scream ripped through the night, causing them to separate and look into the direction the scream came from. 

They shared a look and rushed to help whoever needed it. The scream came from behind the barn and when they got there, they saw an alpha pushing a struggling omega against the wall.

“I don’t want anymore, get off me!” the boy screamed.

“Don’t be like that, sweetheart, you can’t tease me and then kick me out!” the alpha growled back, catching omega’s hand when the boy tried to hit him. 

“Hey!” Arthur yelled and pulled his revolver. John did the same beside him, but they didn’t point at the alpha. Too much risk they would hit an omega. “Leave him alone!”

Alpha turned their head towards them and glared.

“Get lost, buddy, this is a private conversation,” the man warned. The omega in his grasp tried to take the advantage of his distraction, he stepped on alpha’s foot and it definitely hurt, just not enough to allow the escape.

“It doesn’t look like a conversation at all,” Arthur pointed out and pulled back the hammer of his revolver as a warning. The click it made was loud enough at night that the alpha heard it with no problem and actually hesitated. “The boy told you to let him go.”

“Take care of your own bitch!” the alpha told him, nodding at John who growled. “Unless you want to share, then I’m all in.”

“All you can get from me is a bullet to the head if you don’t let the boy go!” John shouted and pointed his gun at the man. Arthur did the same. It was risky, they could hit the boy accidentally, but they had to take that risk. They were good enough gunslingers to hit only the alpha who only now noticed how serious the situation became. He watched them carefully and eventually he released the omega and took a few steps back from the boy.

“He wasn’t worth it anyway,” the man said leaving and soon enough he disappeared between some trees growing around the farm.

Arthur holstered his revolver, John kept his, just in case, still looking towards the direction the man ran, watching if he would come back.

While John was having their back, Arthur slowly approached the omega who was resting against the wall breathing heavily from all the stress.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. I won’t hurt you,” he promised the boy, showing his hand held in a non-threatening way. “I know I’m an alpha but I promise you I mean you no harm. Can I get close? Or do you want my friend to check on you? He’s omega like you, you will feel safer.”

John already relaxed, he left his fighting stance and was ready to offer some comfort to the omega if that was needed.

“It’s fine. Thank you.” Omega smiled at him and didn’t even flinch when Arthur stepped closer to him.

“Pardon my question, but what was you doing with a brute like him?”

“I was spending my heat with him but he was terrible so I decided to leave.” The boy explained simply. He had long black hair like John, that must’ve been the omega the barkeeper was talking about in the saloon. “He grabbed me then and tried to force himself on me.”

“Sorry to hear that, are you okay?”

Arthur looked omega over but didn’t notice any injuries besides a few bruises on his forearms. He wasn’t smelling any blood either.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I'm a little sore from earlier but I’ll live. Thank you, both of you.” The omega looked at John who nodded in response, but the saved omega didn’t see that, he was looking shyly at Arthur again. “You know, if you want, I can share my heat as a gratitude.”

Arthur was so dumbfounded by that offer that he didn’t even know what to say at first. Before he could even open his mouth, he heard John whimper uncomfortably in the background. When Arthur glanced at him, the boy had a sour look on his face and was piercing the other omega with his gaze.

“You know what we’ll do?” Arthur asked the attacked boy. “You show me where you live, I walk you there.” Arthur glanced at John again, seeing him shifting. “I’ll wish you good night, and leave. Rest, boy. I don’t need anything from you.”

The omega wasn’t expecting to hear that, he was pleasantly shocked and smiled gratefully at Arthur.

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Arthur assured and turned to his friend. “John, will you wait for me here?”

“Sure.”

He didn’t chat with the omega on the way to his home. The boy talked, but Arthur was only answering with a word or two, sometimes only with grunts. He didn’t mean to be disrespectful, but he couldn’t focus on a normal conversation when his mind was returning to that kiss he almost shared with John.

What was he thinking? That shouldn’t have happened! The kiss wasn’t a mating, they wouldn’t break any rule even sleeping with each other but it still wasn’t right. John deserved better than some old outlaw, someone that could take him from this life, not make him stuck in it.

Thank god they got interrupted before they could make that mistake and ruin their friendship. Because Arthur had no doubt John would come to regret anything that would happen. Why wouldn’t he? Things would get awkward between them after that, they would never return to what they had, no matter how hard they would try. They couldn’t become mates and allow their relationship to grow, and they couldn’t be just lovers forever, John would eventually find himself a mate or grow bored of Arthur and then both or just one of them would be hurt. Arthur most likely.

He wasn’t ready for that pain just to get a quick kiss or a night spend with John. He would rather never have a taste then get it and lose it later, not being able to do anything about it, fight for it. Because he would never stop John from getting someone better.

He wished the omega a good night and they separated ways. Arthur returned to John with a plan of never mentioning what almost happened between them. That would be for the best, John would forget about it eventually and there would be no chance for them to get hurt when a short but beautiful dream would finally end.

John was sitting at the well again when Arthur returned but he jumped from it when the alpha got closer. 

“I found him.”

Arthur squinted his eyes and looked around, expecting to find that alpha from earlier somewhere. Hunting down the bastard and bringing him for a beating was something John was capable of doing.

“Who?”

“A mate. I found him,” the boy explained and stepped closer with a big smile. “It’s always been you.”

“What are you talking about?”

John chuckled and took another step towards him. Arthur took one step back, not liking where this conversation is going. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. 

“You’re so dull sometimes, you know that?” John asked, not seeing how terrified Arthur was. It was fun for him, because he was too young to understand the consequences.

“I’m just not sure you realise what you are talking about.”

John frowned, confused and stopped his approach when he realized Arthur was running away from him.

“I love you.”

He said it so simply, like it was the easiest thing to do on this whole planet. Like he wanted to say that for a long time now and he finally could, and it felt so good on his lips, and to his lungs, breathing out those three words.

“I love you too,” Arthur said back. Because he wanted to tell those words just as much and it was heaven to say them. It was the only opportunity to do so with a meaning other than the one when he was saying the same words to John in the past.

“Not as brother,” John pointed out and carefully took another step forward, watching if Arthur was going to run again. He didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to handle disappointment in John’s eyes.

Arthur shook his head.

“You can’t.”

“I can and I do.” Another step from John. The boy was determined, he wouldn’t turn around now even if Arthur would threaten him with red eyes. “I’ve always loved you.”

Arthur needed to stop this before it was too late. Before John could unintentionally get him hurt.

“John…”

“You told me that if I ever find a mate, they’ll cherish and love me. Treat me right.” John interrupted him, getting closer and closer. Arthur stood in one place, unable to move, as if the omega hypnotized him with his words, with his confidence. “I already know an alpha fitting that description and it’s you.”

“I’m not a perfect alpha, John.”

John had to understand that. A perfect alpha would be the one that could provide for his omega, promising him a safe place to live with their children. Arthur couldn’t promise him that, even if they would eventually leave this life, because he knew no other than this one. He could only ever be an outlaw. They could only stay in the gang till they would die on a job. In a gang that wasn’t allowing mating between its members.

“You are to me,” John told him with a soft smile. “We’re both outlaws, we can protect each other, you always respected me, cared for me, you never treated me like I’m some lesser human being just because I have a cunt between my legs.” It was sad how little it required to be a good alpha these days. No wonder John thought he found a perfect one. “When you walked that omega home, I knew I would never find a batter alpha. If I ever have to mate, I choose you.”

Arthur desperately wanted to believe that. That he was enough for someone after all, that he could have a mate but he was scared. Scared that John was just mistaken or confused, temporarily in love.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

John wasn’t playing anymore, in two quick steps he stepped so close to Arthur their chest were touching. The boy was almost as tall as him already, Arthur couldn’t look anywhere else but into his determined eyes. Arthur was wrong, the omega knew what he was asking for, and he was going to get that.

“You just told me five minutes ago that I’m old enough to marry, so I can choose a mate!” he huffed. “I’m sixteen, I’m not a child that you took in all those years ago, I can make my own decisions, don’t make them for me because you think you know better what I need.” John’s frustration let go after that, he took a couple of breaths to calm himself down, to look more mature just like he was saying he was. His gaze softened too, he smiled again and placed his hand over Arthur’s heart, feeling it beating fast with excitement, with hope. The older man could feel his resistance melting under this touch. “We don’t have to mate if you don’t want to, I understand if you don’t love me like I do you, but I don’t think that’s true. I saw your eyes earlier when we were sitting on the well. I know why you growled when Dutch suggested finding an alpha. I felt your gaze on me when I was leaving. If I’m mistaken then tell me but don’t lie to me. Not you.”

God, it was everything he ever wanted, what he was thinking about even today. It would be so easy to give in, to take that leap and just try to be happy, have what his heart desired. He wanted to take it so badly, John was offering and he sounded so sure of himself, more than Arthur.

He liked to think of himself as a strong man and alpha, but in that moment, an omega in front of him was stronger than him, and he seemed to be a weak man after all. Especially for said omega. How could he resist him?

He raised his shaking hands and took John’s face in them, stroking softly the soft stubble on his cheeks. John smiled at him and leaned closer, connecting their foreheads together. They both sighed with content.

“We can’t be mates, John,” he said sadly. “The rules are clear, no mates in the gang.”

“Dutch had Annabelle, Hosea had Bessie.” John wasn’t ready to give up, he was too stubborn to ever do that. If he wanted something hard enough, he was always getting it. Arthur wasn’t any different to this rule. “If they had mates, we can too.”

“That was different.”

“It was exactly the same,” John raised his voice before he calmed again and closed his eyes, enjoying Arthur’s presence just like Arthur was enjoying his. “I love you,” he said again. “I want to be with you.”

“You can have me,” Arthur promised him. “We don’t have to be mates for that.”

It wouldn’t be the same but it was better than nothing. And Dutch would accept it, unlike them being mates.

“I want to,” the boy pointed out and looked into his eyes again. “And you want it too, you said it yourself you wanted a mate. I can be your omega if you will be my alpha.”

That’s everything he ever wanted to hear. He wasn’t a perfect alpha, but John was a perfect omega for him, the one he wouldn’t need to worry about, the one that would challenge him every day, make him want to be better.

John knew this life, he wasn’t scared of it, he thrived in it, there was no need for them to ever leave the gang, they could stay in it together and be happy on the road instead of living a peaceful life in their own house life like some other omega or alpha would want. 

“God, John, I love you so much.” He couldn’t resist anymore, not when John was filling him with his calmness, with his confidence and faith in the two of them. How he deserved such an omega? It was like John was made for him, always knowing what to do to make him happy and worth everything good. “You were such an annoying little kid and now look at you, such a handsome young man.”

John chuckled and kissed him on the corner of his mouth, tempting. Arthur wanted to chase after those lips, but John’s hand in his hair stopped him, going through his short locks tenderly. Arthur sighed.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” John admitted and kissed him again, this time on the cheek. The feeling of his mouth on Arthur’s skin was even better than he imagined. John’s lips were warm and a little dry, but Arthur still couldn’t wait to test them, feel them on the rest of his body.

“You know me like no one else,” he told the omega and nosed at his neck, in the place where he would leave his mark. John shivered at the touch. The scent in this place was stronger than at any other spot on his body. Arthur was already addicted. “I would be honored to have such a strong mate.”

He couldn’t see it, but he knew John smiled. He heard it in his voice when he said the next words. “Spend the rest of my heat with me? Please?”

Arthur lifted his head to look at him, to make sure he heard it right and that John was sure of it too. He didn’t find any doubt on his face, in his eyes. John was sure with who he wanted to spend his heat with. His first time. Arthur felt honored that out of all people, John had chosen him.

“We can go to the hotel,” Arthur suggested, already looking back at his horse. “Rent a room.”

He wanted to treat John right, like an alpha should, give him anything he didn’t get from his own first time.

But John had a different plan and tugged him towards the barn.

“I don’t want to wait,” he said seductively and dragged Arthur further away from the horse and closer to the building.

Arthur chuckled. “A barn? On the hay? How romantic,” he teased again but this time it made John smile.

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“As you wish,” he answered and kissed John. Second later they stumbled inside through the big door, giggling.

That night, they tossed in the hay like two young lovers, and shy like ones too. When it was time, John cried oh so sweetly when Arthur bit him during knotting, and a mating mark was created on the right side of his neck, bonding them forever. And when it was Arthur’s time to get bitten, he didn’t hold himself back, crying out just like John, bearing the neck for his wonderful mate.

Mate. They were mates. Dutch would be angry, maybe he would even throw them out of the gang. But Arthur found himself not caring about that right now. Not when John was sleeping peacefully in his arms, his face hidden in the hollow of his throat, purring softly and still smelling sweetly after heat.

He couldn’t care less about Dutch right now. Whatever would happen, he could take it. With John by his side, he felt stronger than ever.


End file.
